BOOKCELLAR NOTES (2/24/03 MONDAY):

CDs listened to today (nonjudgmentally):
- COLUMBIA (Putamayo World Music)
- Charles Wuorinen LEPTON (Tzakik)
- special compilation CD from Jan-Erik in Sweden (various artists including The Minus 5, Blanceflor, Brainstorm, The The, Johnny Cash, Ron Sexsmith, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Tom Tom Club, Billie Myers, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King, The Delicates, Doris, Huey "Piano" Smith, Radiohead, Bryan Ferry, The Refreshments, Parker, Von Blondies--to go ahead and name them all)
- NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 11: 20 Chart-Topping Hits!

---Had to start a pot of split pea soup before coming down here to get to work. On such a cold day it is a good thing to have simmering on the stove. It took a bit of chopping (celery, onion, carrot, turnip, potato, garlic) but now that it is going, I feel like I am good shape. As non-meat eaters (hence no ham hock), I added a tsp or so of dried dillweed to give the thing a bit of flavor. That was not in my instructions. Maybe now I can work right on up until the dinner bell rings.

---A liberating feeling gathering the layers of papers on my literal desktop and sticking them in the carrel vacated by the three remotes now positioned on velcro tabs upside the file cabinet beside me. Not that that means I have effectively dealt with the material now out of sight, but at least it does not have to be in mind by being in the way. From now on I swear I will deal with everything on my desk as it hits the desk, so it will always be clear and clean and well dusted. Now on the desktop is the scratch paper removed from my apron that it is in the wash-closet now. Little jottings that can sometimes make for big work.

---Shipments in from Arkham House (new Clark Ashton Smith: reprint of RENDEZVOUS IN AVEROIGNE), Night Shade (backlist titles), Meisha Merlin (backlist titles).

---Divvying up the printed e-mails for action (immediate response, pull books, file pile, etc.--but not leave on desk top!!!)

---Word from Tartarus, in addition to announcing a forthcoming new title (TARNHELM: The Best Supernatural Stories of Hugh Walpole, $55), notes that THE LOST STRADIVARIUS by John Meade Falkner, THE SALUTATION by Sylvia Townsend Warner and UNCLE STEPHEN by Forrest Read are in very low stock and will not be in their future catalogues (after the one going to press now).

---Word from Haffner that MARTIAN QUEST: The Early Leigh Brackett is out. I better re-affirm my order and see what is already in my order file.

---Go to http://www.cemeterydance.com/subscribe2b/index.mv? to sign up for Cemetery Dance's weekly email newsletter. Although I do not carry their books any more, I like to keep track of what they are doing, and get the magazine.

---Sent out a new Cdrummbks update, featuring Nite Shade. Several titles, testifying both to the productivity of Night Shade and the length of time I have allowed myself to get behind with the updates. Maybe I can keep the Blog updated more-or-less daily. I won't add information pasted from other websites to the blog, as with the updates. But it should contain more current information about what I am doing from moment to moment--if that could possibly be of interest. And it will be less concerned exclusively with book-business doings. I don't want to encumber the updates with extraneous material, so the Blog could be a nice place for me to hang whatever I want out to dry. After all, readers enter the blog at their own behest. I will be flattered by any interest, of course; but since this is something sought out rather than sent out, I feel like I have more freedom to digress here and there. Indeed, I am sure it would be expected. We'll see what it might lead to.

---Sent orders to Haffner and NESFA.